Disney Shuts Down Scarlett Johansson’s Lawsuit Over Black Widow Streaming

Scarlett Johansson is making headlines for filing a lawsuit this week against Disney for releasing “Black Widow” on its streaming platform Disney+.

According to the lawsuit, the Marvel star claims that she had been guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release of the film and that much of her salary was tied to the box-office performance.

Disney however says there is no merit to Johansson’s filing.

The studio fired back against Johansson and said, “There is no merit whatsoever to this filing. The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“Disney has fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract and furthermore, the release of ‘Black Widow’ on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 [million] she has received to date,” the statement added.

According to the actress’ lawsuit, Johansson’s representatives had sought assurances that “Black Widow” would be released in theaters as far back as 2019.

They had been concerned that Disney executives might use the film to pad its new streaming service Disney+. The lawsuit cited a response from Marvel’s chief counsel, which stated “Black Widow” would be released like other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This means the movie would first have a theatrical run and then hit the home video market.

“We understand that should the plan change, we would need to discuss this with you and come to an understanding as the deal is based on a series of (very large) box office bonuses,” the response reads.

The filing alleges that once Johansson heard that “Black Widow” would be released on streaming and in theaters on the same day, she attempted to negotiate with Marvel but Disney and Marvel did not respond.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.